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Ethics of property damage

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happiness

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I moved out of my apartment last month after living there for three years. When I moved out, my landlord decided that the carpet was damaged to the point that it had to be replaced based on the fact that it was stained and "torn" in several places. While I accept responsibility for the stains, the "tear" is really a split at the seam that I believe is consisting with normal wear since I was not unduly rough on the carpet. I don't know its age when I moved in, but it definitely was neither new nor in perfect condition, so I suspect it was on the tail end of its useful life by the time I left three years later anyway. At this time, the landlord is charging me $1000 for the full cost of replacing the carpet. I don't dispute the need for replacement; however, I'm uncertain whether I legally and morally owe the whole cost of replacing the carpet or a pro-rated amount based on the percentage of its remaining useful life that I "stole" from the owners. Almost everything I have read on the internet says that I should legally pay pro rata, but I can't find any information specific to my state or jurisdiction, nor would I know how to determine the useful life of the carpet. And then there's the moral side of it—even if the law might give me a way to get out of paying the full amount, is that just IRS accounting gimmickery and law slanted against businessmen? 

Edited by happiness
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Seems like a reasonable rate of depreciation should be expected by both parties under rental agreements, ideally spelled out in the lease. Some people suggest a detailed checklist signed by both parties. Carpet coming up at the seams? Staple gun. Sounds like he's trying to swindle you, all the more insulting considering your lower than average tenant cost since he didn't have to work to fill the space every year.

Sometimes renters are willing to do anything to get a few hundred dollars, so if you're not going to pay, be prepared for a lot of wasted court time and money. For low dollar amounts, best case is probably a compromise, even if he's being unreasonable.

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